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Tom Brady extension has $28 million bonus, sets up 2018 as key marker

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's two-year contract extension through 2019 includes a $28 million signing bonus and creates $1 million in salary-cap space this year and $2 million in space for 2017, reports ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates.

The deal, which includes $41 million in "new money," has officially been filed with the league and breaks down as follows:

Signing bonus: $28 million

2016

Base salary: $1 million

Cap hit: $14 million

2017

Base salary: $1 million

Cap hit: $14 million

2018

Base salary: $14 million

Roster bonus: $1 million (paid per game)

Cap hit: $22 million

2019

Base salary: $14 million

Roster bonus: $1 million (paid per game)

Cap hit: $22 million

Analysis: Brady and the Patriots have a unique business relationship built off trust and the first thing to know is that his pacts have traditionally been extended/altered with two years remaining. So while it's natural to look at the spike in his salary-cap charge for 2018 and 2019 and wonder how those numbers will fit in the squad's team-building model, chances are the deal will be reworked before those cap hits ever become a factor. And if the deal isn't reworked, the question then becomes, "Does a $22 million cap hit for the 40-year-old quarterback still work for all parties involved?" Given the increase in the NFL salary cap on a yearly basis, that number might still be viewed as a bargain if Brady is still playing at a high level. If he isn't playing at a high level, that could be a transition point when the team has a challenging decision to make with Jimmy Garoppolo's contract scheduled to expire after the 2017 season. We just saw a situation in Denver that had some of those dynamics in play, as backup Brock Osweiler's contract expired after four seasons and he landed a four-year, $72 million deal in Houston.